Yurino Oshima
Actor / Designer
Lives and works in Vienna. Actor and designer based in Europe and Japan.
His motto is "FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE.
As a Christian, I write about the world from a faith perspective.
Appearances: British film "OSAKA" (lead role), Greek film "PERSEPHONE", CF "Philips Sonicare", etc.
4.15.2024
DAYS / Yurino Oshima Column
Guided Journey
Munich Housing Search and Cesky Krumlov Late Night
After returning to Vienna from Tokyo, I went back and forth to Munich every week in February, either for a day trip or an overnight stay. Each trip took 5-6 hours by car... It was hard work.
Because my husband's transfer in June (which we had talked about before) was almost finalized, and we had to find a place to live as soon as possible in Munich, which is said to be "the most difficult place to find a room in Europe".
Fortunately, we had originally planned to look for a place "not in the city," so the competition was not too high, and as a result, we were able to find a good place to rent within 45 minutes by express train to the center of the city and about an hour by car.
What a relief... It's too early to feel relieved, but the important thing is that I haven't signed the contract for the transfer yet. I had already cancelled the contract of my current place of residence in Vienna along with the contract of my new place of residence! Yikes.
I have experienced this kind of last-minute uncertainty and crisis situation many times during my six years of living in Europe.
Especially when you cross a country, the hurdles increase, the screening process takes more time, and yet, from one direction to another, a risky agility is demanded from our side. I was also surprised to learn that even neighboring countries have completely different cultures.
But it is a believer's way of life to trust in God when the future is uncertain. We know that the best thing for us is to complete the transfer and move without incident, and we pray for that.
At the same time, we also pray, "Even if something unexpected happens, we have done everything we could do, so we will leave the rest to God's guidance. This is our attitude.
No matter how things turn out, no matter what we have or don't have, our fundamental mission and value remain the same. Even if the state of affairs or the world's view of us changes, God's view of us remains the same. He is with us.
I believe this to be the truth, and if we can maintain this stance in good times and bad, we will be at peace.
In the midst of this flurry of activity in preparation for my new life, my grandmother-in-law, who had always been so dear to me, passed away. From Munich, I attended the funeral, which was held near Stuttgart.
Thinking that one day our life in this world will come to an end, all the events may be like an illusion when we think of our long journey.
What really matters, as we are reminded even after the loss of our lives, is how much we have practiced love to those around us and how much we have contributed by the gifts we have been given.
According to each vessel and its role... It will surely be something that does not depend on easy-to-understand numbers or impact and cannot be easily measured by others.
Thank you, Oma (grandmother in German), for your presence and for so much love that was never just words. I love you. Until we meet again.
Later, on March 25, 2024, I turned 32. The beautiful and resolute woman I admired so much as a student was this age when I met her. I wondered what she would be like when I became her age. I imagined then what she would be like when I became her age.
Now, the truth that she and I are "completely different people who look nothing alike" fills me with joy. No matter how old I get, I want to accept and love who I am and master myself.
If I believe that God created each one of us, then I believe that I can also play a "real role" by doing so. Even if we humans don't know the full picture of what form that really means.
My planned birthday trip to Porto was cancelled due to the Austrian Airlines strike.
I went to a pub-restaurant in Cesky Krumlov, a small town in the Czech Republic, and late at night, I felt more fulfilled than I have in the past five or six years.
"A man thinks and measures his way in his heart, but it is the Lord who guides his steps. " - Proverbs 16:9
2.10.2024
DAYS / Yurino Oshima Column
Guided Journey
I want to be connected to TOKYO no matter where I am in the world.
There is no such thing as a comfortable place for anyone, only heaven. That is why I have made the choices and devised my own current location.
I have lived in 3 places in Aichi Prefecture, my birthplace, 2 places in Tokyo, 2 places in Kanagawa Prefecture, Edinburgh, Bremen, Vienna, and more than 10 other places including minor migrations, and traveled to about 40 countries.
I have lived in more than 10 places and traveled to 40 countries, including Edinburgh, Bremen, Vienna, and other small migrations.
It is not about good or bad. It is that I was destined to lead such a life because of my nature and reasons for not being able to settle down in one place each time.
What I have come to understand is the fact that even the same person can lead a completely different life depending on the environment and the people he or she spends time with.
The level of growth from time to time has a lot to do with it,
"There are places where you are welcome to be your original self, places where you can't fit in no matter what you do, and places where you can't fit in no matter how you try to be a part of the community."
... Because of these obvious differences, I have learned to analyze my situation dispassionately, without the {self-blame thinking} that I have cultivated in Japanese society.
For me, the most comfortable place to live is "a place where we can maintain a certain level of civility, where our individuality is accepted, and where we can be useful as a full-fledged member of society.
No matter how much I love the city, the food, or the various aspects of life there, if I don't have such a place, I can hardly say I am happy.
～God loves me and created me to be good.
I think it is essential for human beings to have a place where they can feel that they are loved in a broad sense by the people close to them, even if they fundamentally believe that no matter where they are or what they are going through, they are loved by God.
Even so, there are times when we have no choice but to continue to endure, and there are many things we can learn from our ordeals.
However, by establishing the best foothold when it is up to you to change the situation, you can also fully demonstrate the power that has been given to you. Being grateful and being appreciated also makes it easier to start a chain of happiness.
This was really difficult in Bremen and Vienna, where my husband and I have been living for the past seven years. I like the cities themselves, but they are not as friendly to my professional work and personality as I had expected.
I expanded my activities to the whole of Europe and started to get a few opportunities, but then the Corona outbreak hit and I had to stop everything. The details of that period are already documented here and there, so I'll skip them.
There was a lot of unreasonableness and pressure that I can't disclose to the public, and depression set in even while I was working. Needless to say, I was grateful to have a life and a job, but I still cried at least once a week, really~!
It took me a long time to get back to my former self, even after the "please choose whatever you want" type bonus period in early 2023.
Sometimes when people have been suppressed for so long, they don't even know what they want anymore. Our instincts switch to a less painful mode, so we become dull to many aspects.
So my four-month stay in Tokyo last spring and again from fall through this year was a kind of recuperation period for me.
Just walking around the familiar streets of the city was a moving and healing experience. Hundreds of reunions and encounters lifted my spirits.
Little by little, I was released from the stoicism and guilt I had been forced to feel for a while about such perfectly normal things as buying what I wanted with my own money and taking good care of myself.
I know the way to poverty, and I know the way to riches. I know the secret of dealing with all kinds of circumstances, whether we are bored or hungry, rich or poor. " - Philippians 4:12
People I knew in the past welcomed me with smiles while changing their appearance. I am now very attached to Higashi Ikebukuro, where the room I rented was located, and Chuo Evangelical Church, where I was taken care of, has become one of the places I hope to visit many times in the future.
Tokyo fits my skin. I was in the Kanto area from 18 to 25 when I enjoyed my youth, and I still feel comfortable with its speed and distance from people.
I understand why people call it a cold and scary city, but for me now, I have a greater sense of anticipation: "Isn't this one of the most tolerant cities in the world, full of opportunities and unique encounters? I am fortunate that I am a native Japanese speaker, so I feel at ease here.
Fortunately, I am a native Japanese speaker, which makes me comfortable, but as long as there are people who share a clear goal and ambition, I think this is the best city for me, depending on the measures I take.
As for the idea of living in two locations, I did not choose to have a room right now, but I am looking for the right time to do so in the near future.
This time, more than in my spring trip, I have found connections and inspiration to collaborate with people in various places while preparing remotely. Thanks to this, I feel that I can live with a different kind of confidence and enjoyment while I am away from Japan.
This is what I have been looking for. Thank you, God, and thank you to everyone who has connected with me.
"If you are connected to Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. Then it will be given to you." - John 15:7
I sincerely pray for the peace of mind of each and every one of you around the world as well.
12.10.2023
DAYS / Yurino Oshima Column
Guided Journey
Tokyo again for a reading theater performance and a two-base living concept.
Six months after returning to Japan in the spring, I am back in Tokyo.
The main purpose of my stay is to perform recitation plays and to plan the realization of a two-location lifestyle.
I will be moving from my current home base in Vienna to Munich in the middle of next year.
For me personally, this will be the 10th time in my life that I have moved, and it is a very unsettling life.
Aside from that, I am also planning to establish a base in Japan.
Initially, I had decided to stay in Tokyo for about a month. However, the response to my request for an extension of my stay in Tokyo was so overwhelming that the owner of the same room I stayed in last time I was back in Japan accepted my sudden selfishness.
So I will be in Japan for Christmas and New Year's Eve, and will stay until the end of January 2024. Thank you very much!
Currently, my mind is undergoing a series of significant changes during these intense days.
Unfortunately, it would be too late to write about all of them in time for the deadline of this article, so I will have to break it down considerably.
The reading play "Falling in Love: Lies Are Love, But There Are No Lies in Love," led by actor Shingo Mizusawa, whom I met during my last temporary return to Japan, ended in great celebration.
The script was written by Tamako Sarada, and the main focus of the play is a tumultuous story of a mature couple.
The words, "The mother forgave because she realized that the father had sorrow too," and "Forgetting may be forgiveness," have left a deep impression on me.
Personally, I was very nervous about the stage performance, as it had been eight years since I had seen it, but thanks to your kindness, I am now relieved for the time being.
I am now relieved for the time being. I am beginning to see how I should proceed in the future through what I felt while performing in Japan for the first time in a while, stage rehearsals at a large theater which I am allowed to observe by courtesy, and receiving several job invitations.
Shingo Mizusawa, who was once a top star in TV dramas and movies, took a leave of absence at the age of 40. He entered the world of psychology, returned to acting after a while, and became a Christian more than 10 years ago.
He is now mainly doing independent performances in line with his faith and refraining from media exposure, so while there are many people of this generation who do not know him, those who have seen his plays are always saying
The actors were great..." () ‼︎"
I thought it was not only because of their talent and skill, but also because of their human power and faith.
Although he was modest, he said, "Of course, I have to study acting itself, but I also have to study the art of acting,
"I have studied acting itself, of course, but since I have studied psychology and have faith, I am able to perform better than before.
I am a small person, but I can do it.
I was able to meet and even co-star with someone like Mr. Mizusawa because we shared the same aspirations to try acting again and the same faith as a Christian.
Not only did it encourage me that "everything in life is connected, so it's okay," even though I had been away from Japan for a long time, but the encounter with Mr. Mizusawa was also an answer to my wish to "heal the trauma and pain of a half-life that will never be lost.
It is common knowledge that there is a concept/actual therapy called art therapy.
I think this is fundamentally the reason why I have continued to create/express myself, including writing and acting.
Especially, Mr. Mizusawa is a serious student of psychology.
Through the work and round-table discussions held during rehearsals and the occasional words of advice he gives me, I feel that I am able to go beyond playing a role to my own subconscious and gradually deal with the doubts that I have been suppressing.
I also felt the way of life of Mr. Mizusawa, who has bitten off both the sweet and sour sides of life, and is steadily moving into new frontiers even in his later years, saying, "This is the best time of my life.
Here we see the embodiment of "walk by faith, not by sight," and the joy that overflows from within that must be the reward.
As I mentioned earlier, thankfully, I have received invitations from several people to work as an actor or in reading.
Each time, however, I feel that it is not easy.
It has been a source of concern for me since I began my activities 10 years ago, but usually the financial reward is something I don't feel like doing, and what I want to do is something that is difficult to even turn into a business.
In particular, there are quite a few things that I personally feel that I cannot be involved in because of my faith, especially in theater and film productions where it is easy to get involved in the ideology.
I don't mean in the singular sense that it's a villain, or that it takes place in a religious institution, or that it's an adulterous drama, but basically in terms of the plot of the story.
What is the motive and purpose of the work itself?
Even if it is in high demand and does good business, what impact will it leave on the recipient's life and society?
When you get right down to it, would God be pleased with the creation of the work?
Would He at least be saddened? And so on.
What human beings desire greedily does not necessarily lead to true happiness.
In fact, the opposite is often true.
It may be said that the influence of the choices of a single, nameless person is insignificant, but I strongly believe in the importance of a single prayer or action by such a small person.
... Then why not start writing your own book? I'm starting to think that it might be a good idea to start writing my own book.
I could do that in between my work as an actor or designer, which I do on a project basis, or while I'm in Europe.
It could be a novel, a screenplay, an essay, a book, or even a text. Everything is a means to an end, and all you have to do is to continue to have the freedom to choose the method that best suits your situation and physical condition, and that easily fulfills your goals.
And give yourself permission to enjoy and be happy.
When I thought like that, I felt a sense of freedom and peace in my heart.
I may have been the one who was still trapped in a framework, even though I had the freedom to choose after I passed the age of 30.
By the way, another purpose of my visit to Japan, the idea of living in two locations.
At the moment, I'm wavering so much that I change my mind every day.
As I continue to move left and right, my mind is still on it, but I don't think I have enough information and meaning enough to take on all the risks involved in establishing a base of operations.
In that sense, I hope to take my time during the remaining two months of my stay in Japan to make a decision on my future moves.
What is important is to keep my main goal in mind, to protect my physical and mental health, to listen to the opinions of people I trust, and ultimately to make a decision that I and my partner are deeply convinced of.
Then, maybe move and feel rather than overthink.
10.15.2023
DAYS / Yurino Oshima Column
Guided Journey
More than just Thai food in Bangkok
I had planned to stay in Japan again in September, but the date of my performance in a reading play was moved to November.
This time, my husband was also planning to attend for two weeks, so our shared vacation became unscheduled.
What should we do? I was talking with my husband about what to do, and he said, "Let's go to Bangkok because I want to eat Thai food. My husband said, "Let's go to Bangkok because we want to eat Thai food.
I muttered to myself, "A nice meal, a massage, a little sightseeing... that's all well and good, but I'd like to have a more purposeful trip." I muttered to myself.
It's not the same distance or duration as a 3-day/2-night trip to a neighboring country, and since I am over 30 years old, I have become noticeably less interested in "doing something just to please myself (us)".
While I was thinking about this, I remembered that my friend Andy Game is currently in Bangkok.
We met through the 7MEDIA project he started in Yokohama, and he introduced us to Gottkennen, which we are now working on in Austria.
We decided to message him as soon as possible and said, "If meeting Andy is one of our goals, great! I decided to send him a message as soon as possible.
I messaged him and we decided to go for it. I had forgotten that she had introduced herself to me a few years earlier.
Another friend of mine, who is a good friend of mine in Vienna, introduced me to another friend of hers.
The three of us met in Bangkok, and all three of us had one thing in common: we were all involved in Bible-based missionary work using digital media.
They are all professionals in their respective fields of expertise. In a word, we are all like-minded.
I felt a sense of guidance beyond human knowledge even before I went to India.
I have often heard people say, "I am called to India," but this time I thought, "God must be calling me to go to Thailand (even if it all started with my husband's desire for Thai food...). I thought.
Although I was prepared for the heat and humidity in Thailand, the weather was more bearable than I had imagined due to the rainy season.
I was more concerned about the amount of traffic on the roads, especially the large number and danger of motorcycles weaving in between cars, and I honestly felt the air pollution I had learned about in my social studies class.
The food was as delicious as I had expected, and the freshly cut mangoes, which cost about 300 Japanese yen, were so good that I ended up eating them almost every day.
The massage therapist I rushed to on the first day was very skilled, and my stiff body was released.
Walking around the city, I couldn't help but think about the disparity between the rich and the poor, even more so if you go to the countryside.
I usually say to myself, "I don't want to be poisoned by the competitive values and lifestyles (not all of them are bad).
I will not be deceived! I was reminded that I, who usually say things like, "I don't want to be poisoned by the values and lifestyles of a competitive society (even though not all of them are bad)," am living in such a society and am greatly influenced by it.
I myself experienced economic hardship for quite some time, both before and after marriage, while working, and during unemployment, when I was just trying to survive for the day. Even so, I always had a certain amount of food, clothing, and shelter.
I was also reminded that the fact that I have been able to rebuild my life without giving up on the theme of "doing work and activities that make the most of my given qualities" should never be considered as a result of mere personal efforts.
However, personal happiness is not always determined by such things.
Especially in this day and age, there are almost no guarantees in life or work for anyone. It is difficult to maintain peace of mind if one lives on the basis of something that is so changeable.
Gottkennen, the Austrian company mentioned above, uses YouTube, social media, street and pre-movie advertisements, and other media to share the stories of people saved by the gospel.
In a world of poverty, disease, abuse, and all the other challenges of individual life, many people have been saved by knowing the Bible's message of love, and have regained hope and strength to live.
And this is not a temporary fix.
Just as "giving money can be a great help, but teaching someone how to earn money can help them in the long run,
The Bible contains universal answers to life's questions, such as "What is love," "Why was I born," "How can I live with peace in my heart," and "How should I think?
In Bangkok, we were able to discuss our experiences and visions for the future with a total of more than 10 comrades, not just the three of us as a result.
We shared our interactions with the project in Austria, and we were able to say, "This was the wisdom that we needed and prayed for at this time. Thanks to you, we will certainly be able to accelerate our project in Thailand." We were so happy to hear that.
If we have a common goal, everyone in the world is a friend and a team.
Fashionable cafes and local Thai restaurants are all welcome, but what is more important is who you talk with and what you talk about, and what kind of future it will lead to.
During my 10 days in Thailand, I took only one day trip to Ayutthaya.Just as there are many ruins left in Europe, where I am based, I felt something deep in the soul of human beings in the fact that there are places all over the world where "many local people pray to the objects they believe in (or used to believe in)".
Where do we come from and where are we going?
I believe in the existence of heaven as taught in the Bible, and I would love to be able to live a life in which I can look God straight in the eye.
8.5.2023
DAYS / Yurino Oshima Column
Guided Journey
The London Film Shooting and Where It's Happening Now
here are times when things suddenly start to move in the right direction after a long period of stagnation.
This past spring, just before I temporarily returned to Japan to seek my "future direction," I found an opening for a Japanese lead actor for a movie to be shot in London.
While I was still leaning toward resuming my acting career, such an offer was extremely rare in Europe.
I was strongly attracted by the content of the film and decided to participate in this audition.
An independent film by Hank Orion, "OSAKA" - A woman named "Osaka" moves to London by herself because she is conflicted about her way of life in Japan, but she has more difficulties than she expected and cannot find a way out.
This work describes her daily search for a way of thinking.
I want to play this emotional agility," she said. "I spent my entire second half of my twenties in a foreign country, and now that I have finally begun to regain the freedom to challenge myself (in terms of family balance) and regain my own identity, I want to play this emotional agility. Or rather, almost recreate it." And he conveyed this during the casting communication.
I shot the scene at home and sent it to him, and he responded, "That's exactly what I imagined for OSAKA. I was thrilled to receive a cheeky "I knew it! I was thrilled.
But there was no relief at this point.
It is not unusual for cross-border selection and preliminary meetings to take place only online, with the first meeting with the team taking place on the day of the shoot.
This was the case this time.
It is of course a risk for both parties, and even with careful research and preparation, it is like a final gamble.
When you are from a different country or race with a different culture and culture, there is an even greater sense of tension.
It had been 10 years since I had been to London.
When he was 21 years old, he participated in a budget bus tour of 14 European cities that started and ended in London.
It was the time when I was telling everyone I met about my ambition to "someday travel around to different countries and act in films." I told everyone I met about my ambition.
This was the first time I took the long, long subway from Heathrow Airport to the center of the city.
Although I always try to act early in spite of my poor sense of direction, the bus to the meeting place for the pre-shooting meeting was delayed.
The bus was running late, so I called a rideshare service, Bolt, to take me to the location before the time was up.
The director, Hank, was born in Ukraine, lived in London via Italy and Los Angeles, and has a Japanese fiancée.
His assistant Jessica, a Hong Kong native who grew up in London, said, "I was impressed by the fact that the project was mainly Asian, so I joined. She said, "I was impressed by the fact that the project was mainly Asian, and I joined it.
London is huge.
In fact, Tokyo is bigger than London, and the 23 wards of London are twice the size of central London.
For the filming, the team traveled to more than 20 locations in London, including major spots such as Tower Bridge and the Rose Market, which were crowded with people.
The schedule was tight, with only three or four reshoots. The director, Hank, wanted no on-the-spot checks, and due to the format of the film, all sound was voiced over afterwards.
The crew was very helpful in guiding us around the city during our travels and breaks, and we were able to cover many of the major spots in London in a short period of time.
We also chatted about the state of the film industry in Europe and personal updates, and it was a very peaceful and pleasant working environment from start to finish.
Their friendliness and non-intrusive attitude saved me a lot of time.
They told me, "Always seek the good in each other and in everyone else. Always be happy. Pray constantly. Be thankful in all things." - 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18
On my off day, for the first time in 7 years, I got to see my friend Meg Igarashi, mainly because she is also a film director.
Walking through the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Gardens, a little outside the center of the city, we alternately sat and ran in a baptism of sunshine and rain... What the passing time had changed and what it had not changed emerged.
Her positivity and loving nature is evident in her work, and it is invigorating.Good friends are not necessarily limited to the amount of time spent together or the frequency of contact, but can encourage each other in an inspiring way when the time is right.
I feel that I am being kept alive by such bonds.
After returning to Vienna, I spent a month working hard on voice-over recordings, etc., as I write this series of articles.
Even though I am still technically a chick, I have much more time to feel fulfilled and happy since resuming my acting and writing activities.
I've been told, "You're good at what you do, but you should also cherish what you love because it was given to you." As an adult, it's hard to get people to say that to you.
So, I will say it to myself. I believe that I will be able to embody the phrase, "Love is the best thing that ever happened to you. I believe that I will be able to embody this philosophy.
Have fun and be healthy.
6.10.2023
DAYS / Yurino Oshima Column
Guided Journey
Temporary return and retry of mission search
For the first time in six years, I was in Tokyo by myself for over a month.
My life in Europe has been longer than originally planned.
Originally, I had planned to return to Japan within five years, so when that time passed, the strings that had been tightening around my heart snapped.
I felt like a coward, and I felt like I was blocked in every direction, and I didn't feel like living.
In Vienna, where I live now, I have escaped from the life in which I was trapped by the Corona disaster, and as a designer, I participate in Gottkennen, a project in which I can work with a sense of mission from season to season.
I have made friends for casual tea, started a Japanese bible study with my neighbors, and am blessed with good friends from all walks of life.
I love Austria because it is beautiful in every corner of it, and in addition to that, I have been able to go on holidays to neighboring countries for a change of pace, etc. At first glance, I thought I was living a fulfilling life.
But what was it that was making my heart so cramped?
It was the result of an accumulation of many things that cannot be described in a few words, but the root of it all was definitely "not being able to live my life to its fullest potential. That is to say, I was feeling that I was not using the qualities, time, and energy that I had been given. I felt that I was not living at my full potential.
And the place to which he wanted to and should devote his energy was, as he had always wanted, "mainly in my home country, Japan. "As a Japanese person." I had an intuition that this was the place where I should pour my energy.
～I wanted to know the current situation in Japan, especially in Tokyo, by going back to my home country for a longer period of time.
I wanted to know what I could do "with passion and joy.
And I want to do that even before I go back to Japan, and even during my repeated temporary visits back home.
I want to be more connected to my beloved home country! ～I want to be more connected to my beloved country!
But there was a problem.
The salary for a month-and-a-half design project, which I had decided to use to fund my trip, has been overdue for a long time.
In Tokyo, even capsule hotels had skyrocketed in price to over 5,000 yen per night for lodging, so I couldn't very well go without it.
But he said, "I want to go at this time; I want to attend the Easter celebration at my mother church on April 9. I want to see this person and that person. I also want to see the cherry blossoms."
"Is such a wish merely selfishness?"
"But I have persevered for so long with so many things, and now it's finally about to happen...too much."
I really want to go to Japan," she said, praying to God and asking for help from others through her Instagram story.
I really want to go to Japan. I only have this much money, but do you know a place in the Tokyo metropolitan area where I can stay for about a month?
I was on a tight budget, but there was one person, Mr. T, who sent me a message.
Mr. T was not always watching my stories, but he was "just watching at that time.
We had been connected through various social networking services because we were both Christians, but we had never met.
However, I had been resonating with many of his messages for quite a while, so I thought, "This is the person I'm looking for. I was grateful for the opportunity to learn more about him.
And then, with a whirlwind of events, I was offered a room in a vacant apartment owned by a member of the church where Mr. T serves, and under very good terms.
I cried.
"Ask, and it shall be given you. And it shall be given you."
Even the doors opened by the generosity of the people were "Thy will be done." I believe this to be the case.
T., the owner of the room, and even people who do not have a specific faith, all said that about this trip.
I would like to conclude by saying that everything I had originally hoped for, or even more than that, was fulfilled through this trip.
However, travel is always accompanied by little troubles, and before the trip I hurt my shoulder, which I usually don't break, and caught a cold.
Nevertheless, I managed to reduce the pain in my shoulder and the PCR test was negative.
Good! And from Vienna via Frankfurt, the rest seemed to be going well.
However, the flight from Frankfurt was overbooked due to the busy season.
I was told that there was a possibility that I would not be able to board the next flight or the one tomorrow. Somehow, I managed to calm down and spent a fulfilling five-hour wait thinking about the "Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I felt a sense of relief and triumph when I realized that I would be able to board the next plane.
The elderly Japanese tuna fisherman sitting next to me on the plane talked to me as long as I kept my eyes open without earphones.
He said, "When I fish, I think about the feelings of the fish. Imagine the personality of the fish you want to catch and what it needs...then you can catch it. It's the same as how you get what you want in life. It's fun! He said with a sunburned face on his way back from the expedition.
The line from the Whitney Houston movie, "Use your God-given talents correctly," which was on the in-flight entertainment lineup, resonated with me. It resonated with me deeply.
In the meantime, we arrived at Haneda Airport.
After receiving my checked baggage and SIM card and exchanging them for cash, I took the limousine bus to the station nearest the room.
Mr. T picked me up at the station by car.
The room, a retro room of about 8 tatami mats in an easily accessible urban area, was ready for me to start living with my family's belongings.
I was in survival mode, thinking I could sleep on a towel... Futon, rug, table, chair, laundry equipment... They had prepared everything from dishes to a stove.
It was a very comfortable space and I immediately felt at home.
The cheap Japanese bento I bought at the nearest supermarket for dinner, which cost less than 400 yen, was excellent, and I was told, "It's too cheap.
I don't know their faces or names, but I want to give a tip to everyone involved in making this bento. I thought from the bottom of my heart.
The first day was filled with joy and anticipation.
Today, tomorrow, and the day after will be absolutely wonderful. And at the end of it all, I am sure I will take home a wonderful experience and the key to the next door."
It had been a long time since I had such a positive and confident feeling in my heart.
In Tokyo, I hardly rested at all, meeting as many people as I could every day, and continuing to visit places of interest and connection, and the people I met connected me to other people.
I met old friends and acquaintances, famous actors, musical actresses, radio personalities, writers, book editors, music agency presidents, movie producers, people who were immersed in missionary activities while working in the office...etc., etc., etc. I had so many opportunities to meet and talk with people that I cannot even begin to describe.
Everything was happening at a speed that was at odds with my time in Europe.
This was clearly expressed in the speed at which people walked, the fashion, and the changes in the streets of Shibuya, Ikebukuro, and other areas.
I thought to myself, "Ah, this is what it was like to be in Tokyo every day."
It was nostalgic, lovely, and supremely enjoyable, but at the same time, there were moments when I was worried about the hurriedness and shrewdness of the city.
I also thought to myself, "I have to be especially firm in the midst of the busyness and glamor.
I must not lose sight of the original purpose..." while occasionally bracing myself.
I also noticed that after six years, I was being treated as an "adult" by people.
It made me feel a bit nervous, happy, and sad...and I also felt that I was no longer what is called a "young person" in Japan, especially in Tokyo. In Tokyo, even if they tolerate my individuality, if I don't act like an adult with Japanese civility and manners, I will become a person full of discomfort. I must be careful. I was made to think.
But I think it's a good thing that I am certified as an adult, so I can be relaxed in some areas.
I also realized that people unexpectedly find my experiences and life background interesting in ways that I did not have before.
In this way, I was able to confirm my current position in Tokyo, and I told a wide variety of people the truth about what was going on in my heart.
I asked questions to which I might not have been able to get honest answers in the past.
I wanted to know what I could do with passion and joy, even though I was over 30 years old and had left many things behind, including my life in Japan, and what I could do to be of service.
I also wanted to see how my long-suppressed sensibilities would respond to the various opinions and suggestions.
Finally, I decided to try again to express myself mainly through theater and writing in Japan.
In living for over a month, "I was led down that path, and I had an aptitude for it." I could feel it.
Because I was able to convince my partner, who had not shaken his head for a long time, as I reported daily events to him.
And, "The events in the past that made me lose confidence in the path, and the self-image that has stopped me, are not important for me now and in the future. Because the person I am now is not the same as the person I was then." It was a series of events that made me say, "The time has come.
I feel like the time has come, and I want to trust and work with the guidance of God and those who entrust me with my work now, instead of setting my own limits. I want to do my best and trust in God's guidance and those who entrust me with my work.
I was given the opportunity to perform a reading play in Tokyo this fall by a person I met through my former teacher, and I have already started reading the script.
I have already started reading the script, but before that, I will soon be filming a movie in London, so I am quite busy with translation work and preparing for the role....
There is joy in the midst of difficulty when one immerses oneself in what one believes to be one's mission and strives for it.
And both are roles and stories of hope that I feel I can lean on deeply because of the pain of the past six years.
I love the literary arts because they make me think about "people" and "life" on a larger scale and encourage me to see again that truth is truth.
I have been writing about this kind of writing for as long as I can remember, but I have only made a fraction of it public.
This time, however, I was also given the meaning and courage to express more openly the words that come from within me.
Immediately after returning to Japan, I asked Mr. Kinoshita, the art director and editor-in-chief of STAY SALTY, whom I had met and featured in a previous issue of "Notebook," through e-mail, "Please let me write a series of articles on this topic. He immediately agreed to do so.
I was very happy to hear that he readily agreed.
I believe that traveling is, to a greater or lesser degree, an impressive turning point in one's life.
When you leave your daily routine and receive a new wind, your life is enriched in unexpected ways.
Even troubles and difficulties can be looked back on with a harvest that we can say, "It was all because of that.
If I had not met Mr. T this time, I might not have been able to go to Japan yet, and if my salary had not been overdue, it would have been a completely different trip, and I would definitely be different from the person I am now.
I would like to write a series of articles like that here, without any embellishments.
